Mountains and Diabetes: Fourth International Event to Challenge Diabetes Perceptions and Myths

Bozeman, Montana – Many people consider a diagnosis of diabetes a sentence to a life full of limitation. “That’s not so,” says Jeff Mazer, the Bozeman organizer of MADiDEA 2007, an event highlighting how to live a full life with diabetes while addressing the challenge of managing the disease.

MADiDEA 2007 is organized by Mountains for Active Diabetics (MAD) based in the UK and IDEA 2000, Inc., a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to promoting better health for diabetics worldwide. The event will be held at the Hyalite Youth Camp in the northern Gallatin Range of southwest Montana in Gallatin National Forest, a short drive from Bozeman, Montana.

The goals of MADiDEA are simple – to inspire, motivate and educate people to take care of their diabetes. What is unique is the way in which those goals are accomplished – by bringing together a group of people from across the world that share a passion for mountain outdoor sports and also happen to have diabetes.

Bozeman, Montana will be the epicenter for this August 10-13, 2007 event. The format for this event will consist of patients learning from their peers about how they manage a chronic disease and doing what they are passionate about. Past successful events have been held in the UK, France and Colorado Springs, CO.

“I’m very excited to be able to bring to Bozeman an event which has already changed my life for the better,” said Mazer, a patient with diabetes who was also part of the MADiDEA event in 2005. “Hearing stories, sharing my own, and meeting new people who love the mountains and happen to have diabetes makes me feel less alone, less isolated and gives me more hope for the future,” he added.

Each evening will begin with a presentation from an outstanding individual with diabetes. These talks will be much more than a one-way dialog about incredible accomplishments. It will be an opportunity for diabetics to describe how success was achieved and to engage in a conversation with the audience, which will include diabetics, family members, healthcare professionals and mountain trip leaders.

Presenters include ultra-marathoner Herbert Hausmann from Germany, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 43 years ago; Nikki Wallis, Welsh Mountain Rescue Heroine and founder of Mountains for Active Diabetics (MAD) in the UK; and Italian elite cross-country skier and mountaineer, Mauro Sormani. Sebastian White, a diabetes educator with the Bozeman Diabetes Clinic will provide his insight from the perspective of a healthcare professional.

It is fitting that MADiDEA 2007 has attracted attention from Roche, one of the world’s leading research-based healthcare companies, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and home to the world’s iconic Matterhorn.

“We are thrilled to support MADiDEA, said Linda Esposito, Director of Consumer Marketing and Brand Strategy with Roche Diabetes Care. “This is a creative way for people with diabetes to learn and explore improved diabetes treatment options from their peers who share similar passions. It is an innovative approach with direct health benefits and improves the quality of life of those who attend and are reached by their stories,” she added.

With more than 30 years experience in diabetes monitoring and 20 years in insulin pump therapy, Roche Diabetes Care is an important pioneer in the area of diabetes management. Roche Diabetes Care in Indianapolis, part of the parent company Roche, based in Basel, Switzerland, connects metabolic monitoring, therapy advice and insulin delivery technologies, thus completing the “Circle of Care” in diabetes management.

It’s not too late to join MADiDEA 2007 – Montana. Registration is open until August 1. For more information visit www.idea2000.org. Contact Jeff Mazer directly at mazer@bresnan.net or phone 406-581-9021.

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